The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed three players to future contracts for the 1997 season: WR Will Moore, OT Howard Smothers and LB Johnie Church.
Moore, 26, spent the 1995 season with the New England Patriots after playing three years with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He caught 45 passes for 502 yards and one touchdown in 14 games (13 starts) in 1995. In '96 he played in the first two games (3 catches for 47 yards) with the Patriots before being waived. With Doug Flutie as his quarterback in the CFL, Moore caught 120 passes and scored 23 TDs. A four-year letterman at Texas Southern, Moore ranks fifth among the school's all-time leading receivers with 129 receptions for 1,924 yards and 24 touchdowns. The native of Dallas played on the same high school team as Jaguars FB Le'Shai Maston and Chiefs RB Greg Hill.
Smothers, 23, was on the practice squad of the Detroit Lions in 1996 and the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. He was a seventh-round draft choice of the Eagles in '95. Smothers played all five positions on the offensive line in 33 games over four years for Bethune-Cookman. A native of Jacksonville, he played at Ribault High.
Church, 23, was a seventh-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1996 who was waived on August 20 in the cut to 60 players. A four-year letterman at the University of Florida where he played defensive end, Church started eight games as a freshman and 10 as a senior and was a backup as a sophomore and junior. He had 14 sacks during his collegiate career. He was an all-state tight end at Cypress Lakes High in Fort Myers.
